Tehama County eligible for emergency farm loans

Pursuant to the Secretary of Agriculture's designation of an emergency in the state of California on May 31, Tehama, Alameda and Marin counties have been named eligible for USDA emergency farm loans because of physical and production losses based on damages and losses caused by drought covering the 2012 crop year.

In addition, the following contiguous counties are eligible: Butte, Glenn, Mendocino, Plumas, Shasta and Trinity.

Farmers in all 14 counties have eight months to apply for the loans to help cover part of their actual losses. Some of the eligibility requirements are listed below:

- Have suffered at least 30 percent loss of normal production directly related to the above-cited cause,

- Be able to repay the loan and any other loans,

- Be unable to obtain credit elsewhere,

- Have adequate security,.

- Have multi-peril crop insurance, if available, and

- Meet other eligibility criteria.

All applicants must complete a certification of disaster losses, which reflects the exact date and nature of the designated disaster and how it caused the loss or damage. Crop insurance field reports may be a source for documenting losses directly related to the cited cause.

The authorization from Farm Service Agency (FSA) to accept Emergency loans under this authorization expires on Jan. 31, 2013. Applications should be filed with your FSA Service Center at 2 Sutter St., Ste. C, Red Bluff.